Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

GroovyTek

Need help with a new smartphone or tablet? Wondering what that new Uber service is all about? Or are you bothered that your computer just updated itself with a new operating system? GroovyTek is at your service. And they don’t fix your machine, but teach you how to use them. You know, “Give a man to fish…” Hour-long, in-person sessions are $90. And for that price, expect customized training. Group sessions are also available. The target customer are Baby Boomers and seniors who presumably spent the last 20 years using Windows machines and little else.Headquarters: 7255 S Havana St. in CentennialFounded:2015Founders: Greg Boman, Matt Munro and Alex RodasEmployees: 15Recent news: Raised $1.5 million in Series A funding led by Firestream Investments in March 2016Contact: 303-317-2800 or info@groovytek.comHome on the Web:groovytek.com

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Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

So Let’s Roll

Another app that tells you what’s going on near you? Sure, why not? Especially when the app tells you of actual events happening within fractions of miles of you right now. That’s So Let’s Roll. Developers aren’t your typical engineers. Rather, it’s from Paul Tamburello, who’s deeply involved in the Denver-area’s commercial real estate market. Root Down? Linger? Little Man Ice Cream? Tamburello either consulted, developed or owns these trendy food spots. One can filter listings by time, distance and category, which includes foodie, bar happenings and literature. So Let’s Roll got started in February and aims to be the curated aggregator of aggregators. Pancakes and Booze Art Show? Intro to Healing Touch for Animals? A cornhole tournament in Golden? Not just socially useful, but educational!Headquarters: 3222 Tejon St in DenverFounded: 2016Founders: Paul Tamburello and Rene DoubledayEmployees: 4Contact: info@soletsroll.comHome on the Web:soletsroll.comRead more…

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Silvernest

Forget Craigslist. Silvernest matches seniors with homes to seniors who need a place to rent. Contracts, background checks and even rent collection is provided via digital tools. Go Baby Boomers!

Finding a new roommate can be distressing, intimidating and even cringe worthy. Especially if you’re 50 or older. That’s the gist of Silvernest, a Boulder startup matching seniors who have a home with other seniors who need a place to rent. Think long-term Airbnb meets senior social network. Silvernest pre-qualifies potential renters and if they pass a homeowner’s housemate test (the “Compatibility matching”), homeowners get an e-mail. Technically, “a proprietary algorithm for matching roommates. Roommate recommendations are made based on the match and not the property,” says the company. The tech doesn’t end there. Silvernest also offers background screening and offers digital tools to write up a lease and collect rent. Plans start at $99 for three months but are currently free for a limited time. Renters pay $29.99 to create an application package. Don’t tell me Baby Boomers are afraid of technology!Headquarters: 1630 A 30th Street #279 in BoulderFounded: 2015Founders: Wendi Burkhardt, Chuck McKenney and Debra McKenneyEmployees: 6Contact: 866-757-NEST or hello@silvernest.comHome on the Web: www.silvernest.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Revolar

Building a technology company in a matter of months isn’t easy. Especially when you’re a school teacher, like Revolar founder Jacqueline Ros. But when her younger sister was assaulted, Ros stepped up and figured out how to develop a magic button for personal safety. A successful crowdfunding campaign plus $3 million in funding from the local venture capitalists at The Foundry Group, Revolar’s personal safety device is now for sale. Revolar fits on a key chain or clips to clothing. While you still need a smartphone present, the press or a button twice or thrice alert specific friends via text (using the device’s Bluetooth to link to a phone). Built-in GPS sends friends your actual location. The $99 waterproof device should work out of the box — with no added fees for service (that’s what your smartphone is for).Headquarters: 800 Grant Street #120 in DenverFounded: 2013Founders: Jacqueline Ros, CEOEmployees: 15Recent news: Revolar starts delivering products April 1.Contact: 855-705-4729Home on the Web:www.revolar.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

InspiringApps

Nine years and more than 100 apps later, Boulder’s InspiringApps says it knows more than a thing or two about mobile apps. Make that a whole book, which is free to download.

Debuting the same year as Apple’s first iPhone, InspiringApps begin building all sorts of iPhone apps for area companies. New mobile operating systems? The Boulder firm is on it! And that means companies don’t have to mess with tweaking apps for iOS vs. Android or Windows vs. HTML5. More than 100 apps later — including one that picked up a 2015 Tabby Award for top iPad data-collection app — InspiringApps has delved into apps for kidney dialysis (Gambro) and aircraft (Gulfstream), reporting expenses (ExpenseBot) and inventorying wool socks (SmartWool).Headquarters: 1045 Pearl Street in BoulderFounded: 2007Founder: Brad Weber, President & CEOEmployees: 20Freebie alert: The companies shares its insight in “Inspiring Apps: A Business Perspective on Building Mobile Apps” e-book, which is free to download at inspiringapps.com/book.Contact: 303-635-6244Home on the Web:inspiringapps.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Silicon STEM Academy

A movement is underway to add computer-science classes in all schools, but we’re not quite there yet. Some parents must rely on their own know how or they can tap into the burgeoning trend of after-school options, such as Silicon STEM Academy. While kids may say, “What? More school?” they probably forget about the academic extracurricular when they spot Minecraft, Legos and robots. Co-founder John Scarborough, who sold his VoIP company to MegaPath in 2012, may still play with Legos but that’s not why he started the school with wife Kelly. It’s the future: In Colorado, there are nearly 16,000 coding and computing jobs yet fewer than 500 students graduating with computer science degrees. You do the math!Headquarters: 4201 E. Yale Ave. in DenverFounded: 2015Founders: John Scarborough, Managing Director; Kelly Scarborough, Co-DirectorEmployees: 12Good to know: Tech education comes with a price. An after-school, 6-week course starts at $495. Students meet twice a week for 90 minutes. Single Saturday workshops start at $25 and some are free.Contact: 303-800-0011Home on the Web:siliconstemacademy.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Couragion

STEM toys are great fun, but how does one go from playing with toy robots to building them? The Couragion app helps kids figure out what sort of STEM jobs are out there, including dragon making (video game developer).

Science-minded toys and computer-coding extracurriculars fill the lives of children today, thanks to we pushy parents. But will a toy robot turn a kid into the next Steve Jobs? Probably not. But learning about real people who work in science and computer jobs just might. How to find those people? The Couragion app, which guides children into discovering more about jobs like making dragons for a living (video game developer) or scuba diving for coral samples (climate dynamics scientist). The app, available on iTunes for $29.99, includes quests and quizzes that may unearth a previously unknown career possibility. There are also salary guides and growth potential to tell users about the future of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) jobs. Couragion targets schools so if you’re one of those pushy parents, tell your kid’s teacher — and get a bulk discount.Headquarters: Home-based in Denver’s Capitol Hill neigborhoodFounded:2014Founders: Melissa Risteff, CEO; Laura Farrelly, COO; Mike Castillo, CTOEmployees: 4Recent news:Awarded a $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which kicked in on New Year’s Day.Contact: 720.460.1744 or couragion.com/contact-couragionHome on the Web:couragion.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

The18

Get a kick out of Boulder startup The18, which covers soccer news, style, teams and anything you can think of related to soccer.

Can’t get enough soccer? Then head to The18, a Boulder-based soccer portal focused on where goals are scored (as in the 18-yard penalty box line) and beyond. Well, well beyond. International team scores? Check. Training videos? Check. Soccer balls? Umm, well, not yet. But hey, this young company just started 19 months ago. The18 does make some cash on gear sold and it offers paid subscriptions to training videos. But the emphasis has been on news, trends, connecting fans and creating viral content. Two employees are full-time writers, another is part-time. Plus, the company has more than 30 freelancers located around the globe keep the content flowing.Headquarters: 1881 9th Street in BoulderFounded: 2014Co-founders: Pete Burridge, President and CEO; and Matt Jenkins, Executive Vice PresidentEmployees: 7Recent news:Raised $1 million in October from private investors.New news: Officially getting 1 million visitors a month, as of Dec. 2015Contact: 303-459-5475Home on the Web:the18.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Kickfurther

Kickfurther takes crowdfunding to a new level and it doesn’t involve shipping fees. It won’t sell you, for example, MM Local’s Sriracha sauce. But it will let you finance the purchase of peppers used. In return, you may get your money back with interest.

To take crowdfunding to the next level, you’ve got to go further. Not much further — just over to Boulder’s Kickfurther. Instead of messing with typical crowdfunding rewards and shipping fees, Kickfurther lets people invest in a company’s inventory for a potential cash return. Many projects pay an extra 8 to 10 percent on every dollar invested (plus Kickfurther takes a 1.5 percent “withdraw” fee). Denver’s MM Local Foods, for example, used the site to raise $21,057 to buy heirloom peppers for Sriracha sauce. Foodies must have tuned in and funded the company within 5 minutes! Those investors received an extra 12 cents for every dollar they invested. But it’s still a gamble. Kickfurther vets the companies but if they don’t pay up, Kickfurther can seize and sell the inventory to pay back investors, among other things. The company, which went through the recent Boomtown Boulder business accelerator, says it has funded $2.32 million of inventory for 131 companies across 152 offers, said co-founder Erik Straub.Headquarters: 1719 Alpine in BoulderFounded: 2014Founders: CEO Sean De Clercq, Chief Technology Officer Andrew Westwick and Chief Marketing Officer Erik StraubEmployees: 9Recent news: Has raised about $570,000 from private inventorsNew news: Named a finalist for the Extreme Tech Challenge. In January, it finds out if it will be one of three to travel to Richard Branson’s Caribbean retreat to pitch the billionaire.Contact: 908-405-6688Home on the Web:kickfurther.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Welcome to our feature highlighting the numerous Colorado tech companies that make cool stuff. These little snippets are intended for readers to explore the technology being made right here. One company at a time, of course.

Noisapp

Dude! No more messing with headphones or volume with Noisapp. Meant for snowboarders and skiers, the motion-controlled music app keeps volume up when you’re moving and lowers it when you stop so you can have a pleasant conversation with your fellow mates.

Music and snowboarding go hand in hand. Until you’re done with the run and you have to take your hands out of your gloves to turn down the volume to hear your friends. Of course, there’s an app to fix that and it happens to be from developers in Fort Collins who go by the business name of Stream^N Inc. Noisapp is a motion-controlled app that adjusts the volume of music on your smartphone based on movement. Going downhill? Music plays. Pause? Music volume decreases so you can actually hear what your friends are chattering about. The app also lets users configure volumes, fade speed and motion thresholds. And it should work with most sports, though probably not chess. Bonus: Noisapp is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. It’s $1.99 but an ad-supported version is free.Headquarters: P.O. Box 2394, Fort Collins, CO 80522Founded: 2014Founders: Michael Kabatek, CEO, and Michael DeAngelo, vice president of business developmentEmployees: 2Contact: 970-639-0420Home on the Web:noisapp.com

Are you a Colorado tech business in the consumer world? Submit your information at dpo.st/coinfo for consideration.

Tamara Chuang covers personal technology and local tech news for The Denver Post. She previously spent 10 years doing the same thing for The Orange County Register before taking a hiatus to move here and become a SAHM to a precocious toddler.